seasonal vegetables – No Beef Here

Copy of Copy of Copy of New Moon Celebrations

It’s like summer turned on at the flick of a switch. At that moment, Mother Nature went into full bloom and every summer fruit + veg arrived perfectly and in abundance.

One of my latest discoveries at my local farmer’s market is broccolini. Ever heard of a broccolini?! Though it is commonly called baby broccoli it’s actually its own grownup veggie and is a cross between broccoli and gai lan (Chinese broccoli). It’s tender, long thin stalks have smaller florets and occasionally has some beautiful white flowers which are totally edible. They’re almost nutty in flavor especially when roasted. But we’re in the blazes of summer right now and we are not going to turn our ovens on.

This sauté is perfect as a side dish or even served alongside a pesto coated chickpea or lentil pasta. I love the beauty of green veggies with a green sauce. More green please!

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In case you were not aware, I LOVE working at the farmer’s market. I mean aside from the amazing people, I get my hands on veggies and fruits I normally wouldn’t be able to. Well, I probably could but the fact that the opportunity to try nature’s unique creations. I tried quince for the first time a few weeks ago. I used to just glance at it, ask what it was and just ignore it. Because let’s face it, there was no way I would actually do something with that. But now, that’s all changed.

Last week I got my hands on…purple cauliflower. I mean it’s just absolutely stunning. It’s a vibrant purple that begs to be eaten but in an elegant way. There’s no way this should become a puree, it begs to become something more. It has potential. And the night I realized I didn’t have rice in the house, the purple cauliflower became…rice.

Yes, I said rice. The texture is absolutely perfect. It doesn’t make you miss rice. It holds flavors exquisitely and it really makes you feel good about eating your veggies. I mean, come on! It’s a winner.

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